Today in Hip Hop History: Hip-Hop Celebrates Its Birth In The South Bronx 50 Years Ago!

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On this day 50 years ago (August 11, 1973), Kool Herc threw his legendary back-to-school basement party, which would go on to create the foundation for Hip-Hop music through the “breakbeat” DJ technique he used to keep the party rocking. Many aspiring emcees at the time paired ‘the break’ with the rhymes flowing through their minds, jumpstarting a sound and movement now considered the most popular genre in music; Hip Hop.

Many are familiar with the story of the 1520 Sedgewick Avenue Recreation Center and how Jamaican-born Herc attracted the youth from the community and other boroughs that had already made names for themselves in other aspects of the culture (B-Boying, Graffiti, and MCing). The climate in NYC has often been omitted from history, where the city was on the brink of bankruptcy while crime and “white flight” was at an all-time high. These were the circumstances in which the culture of Hip Hop was born and thrived throughout the city for about a decade before it became recognized by the mainstream.

Salute to the pioneers of the era, such as Kool Herc, Afrika Bambaataa, Coke La Rock, Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five, The Funky Four Plus 1 More, The Magnificent Seven, and a host of others who were there at the foundation. Thank you for giving us what we can document now as Hip Hop history!

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Red Bull Announces Paris As Host City For World’s Largest Breaking Competition

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Today, global one-on-one breaking competition, Red Bull BC One, announces the historic 20th edition of the Red Bull BC One World Final will take place in Paris, France, on October 21 at Roland Garros. Following 60 qualifier events across 30 countries, the Red Bull BC One 2023 Paris World Final will see b-boys and b-girls from around the world battle against the best in breaking for the coveted World Champion title. Tickets are now available HERE

Happening on October 21st, the largest, most prestigious breaking competition will bring together world-class b-girls and b-boys from all corners of the globe to perform their best power moves, top rocks, footwork, and more for a chance at the coveted World Champion title.
Following 60 qualifier events held in 30 countries, the Red Bull BC One 2023 World Final will see country champions battling against the best in break to earn their spot in a final line-up of 16 b-boys and 16 b-girls. These breakers will enter an all-out, bracket-style tournament to be crowned Red Bull BC One World Champion.

Breaking boasts a rich history being an integral element of hip-hop, which celebrates its 50th anniversary this year. As hip-hop continues to progress, breaking is experiencing its own evolution, becoming a globally recognized sport, and transcending its Bronx origins to reach audiences worldwide. Across generations, thriving break communities have pushed the competitive street dance to new heights, shaping how break looks today while nurturing the culture that underpins it.

Last year’s Red Bull BC One World Final took place in New York, honoring the origins of break and hip-hop, with B-Boy Victor (USA) and B-Girl India (Netherlands) beating out the competition and reigning supreme. Both historic wins, B-Boy Victor took the title for his second time and B-Girl India dethroned 2021 Red Bull BC One World Champion, Logistx, to become the youngest b-girl ever to hold the Red Bull BC One title. Red Bull BC One All Star and Red Bull BC One 2022 World Champion, B-Boy Victor, has built a career as one the best breakers on the international scene over nearly two decades. He shares, “Over the next year, it will be important – now more than ever – to uplift breakers and communities that have transformed
this artform into an official sport. While breaking has come a long way, we must honor the pioneers who started the craft.”

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U.S. Athletes To Represent In World’s Largest Breakdancing Competition

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Last week at the Red Bull BC One Cypher USA in Los Angeles, the most prestigious, global break dancing competition, crowned Olympic hopeful, Grace “Sunny” Choi, and Francisco “Ali” Acuna Flores as the U.S. National Finalists.

Both Sunny and Ali will be repping for the U.S. in the BC One World Finals, which for the first time in 13 years will be hosted in New York City, the birthplace of hip-hop and break. This year marks the 19th edition of the Red Bull BC One World Final, as athletes all over the world train for this moment and breaking’s Olympic debut.  Red Bull BC One All Stars Logan “Logistx” Edrawho won the Red Bull BC One World Championship title in 2021, and Victor Montalvo will join the elite line-up of World Final competitors this November. 

Spanning two months of electrifying battles and community events, Red Bull BC One Regional Qualifiers  kicked off in Philadelphia before touring the country with battles hosted in Austin, Orlando, Boston, and Seattle.

Following an exhilarating 16-bracket bgirl tournament, the judges crowned bgirl Sunny as the 2022 Red Bull BC One U.S. Bgirl National Champion. Grace Choi began breaking in 2008 and has collected many international wins including the 2015 Outbreak Europe B-Girl solo battle, FISE Hiroshima in Japan, and made it to the finals of the 2019 WDSF World Breaking Championships in Nanjing, China. She is currently training for the Paris 2024 Games, where breaking will make its athletic debut. 

“I’m super grateful to be here, super grateful to have won this event because it means that I get to represent New York in New York. It has been a really amazing experience – I got to let loose and just be me tonight on the dancefloor and I proved to myself that that works, ” said bgirl Sunny. 

In the bboy category, Salt Lake City bboy Ali reigned supreme, dominating his way through the 16-bracket tournament. Francisco Acuna Flores represents the Body Roc crew and has been breaking for 20 years. 

Bboy Ali shared, “I feel really excited about winning the Red Bull BC One USA cypher so I can go to the World Finals. I’ve never been to the Red Bull BC One World Finals so this is going to be a first for me and I want to dedicate this to my dad who passed away recently.” 

The evening paid tribute to west coast hip-hop and break with a performance by legendary Los Angeles hip-hop collective, The Far Side, as well as a special exhibition battle led by Red Bull BC One All Stars RoxRite and Ronnie–both lauded breaking stars, whose journeys have deep roots in California.  

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